Thursday, January 3, 2013
Open Doors to Release 2013 Worst Persecutors List Jan. 8 at D.C. Press Conference
Compelling 'The Insanity of God' Book to Be Introduced during Event
SANTA ANA, Calif.,
Jan. 3, 2013
/Christian Newswire/ -- Open Doors will release its 2013
World Watch List of 50 countries that are the worst persecutors of
Christians on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 during a press conference in
Washington, D.C.
The press conference will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at the National Press Club, First Amendment Lounge, 529 14th St. NW.
"The annual World Watch List has raised awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians for many years," says Open Doors USA interim President/CEO Steve Ridgway. "It is important to get this information out to the public so it can look beyond the headlines and be a voice for those who are often voiceless in places such as North Korea, Syria and Somalia. Even on Christmas Eve in northern Nigeria, suspected Islamic extremists killed a reported 12 Christian worshippers and even more after Christmas."
For the past 10 years, the hermit communist country of North Korea has topped the list. Last year Afghanistan was No. 2, followed by Saudi Arabia. Rounding out the top 10 were Somalia, Iran, Maldives, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Iraq and Pakistan.
Expert speakers at the press conference include veteran journalist Ron Boyd-MacMillan, chief strategy officer for Open Doors International, and Nik Ripken, author of the inspirational new book "The Insanity of God" (B&H Books, 2013). Both Boyd-MacMillan and Ripken have travelled worldwide to meet with those persecuted for their faith.
For more information on "The Insanity of God," go to www.nikripken.com. There will be opportunity for media members to ask Boyd-MacMillan and Ripken questions regarding persecution.
The World Watch List ranks countries according to the intensity of persecution Christians face for actively pursuing their faith.
An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world's most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our Website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.
For more information regarding the World Watch list press conference and requests for interviews, contact Open Doors USA Media Relations Director Jerry Dykstra at 616-915-4117 or email JerryD@odusa.org.
Christian Newswire
Pro-life Students Announce New Book and Webcast Launch
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, Students for Life of America announced the release of its first book, Courageous: Students Abolishing Abortion in this Lifetime, and the Courageous National Book Release Webcast on January 7th at 9pm Eastern Time. Participants can register and tune in for the webcast at www.courageousthebook.com.
"It is the stories of this pro-life generation that will make Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry shake in their boots," said Kristan Hawkins, author of Courageous and President of Students for Life. "Yet their stories, which are real and messy, won't make the news headlines. However, they must be told because it will be their stories that inspire and encourage others to join the cause of abolish abortion in this lifetime."
Joining Kristan on the Courageous National Book Release Webcast will be Jason Jones, co-executive producer of the pro-life movie Bella, who wrote the foreword to Courageous, along with several of the young people featured in the book. Participants who join the live webcast will receive a free chapter from the book as well as a 20% off discount code.
Written by Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins (www.studentsforlife.org), Courageous tells the heartwarming stories of pro-life students who have answered the call to abolish abortion. These are the faces of the pro-life generation.
Readers will be inspired by these young people whose stories will no doubt resonate in their own lives as they continue their fight against abortion. Readers will hear from:
- Melissa, a woman who survived unimaginable abuse at home and ended up living with nuns to escape her father, who forcibly aborted her siblings and had wanted her to succumb to the same fate,
- Julia, a girl who knows no fear and reaches out to women every day at abortion facilities, always offering help and the option to choose life,
- Amanda and Andrea, courageous birth mothers who placed their babies with adoptive parents,
- Steve, an ordinary guy who just went to a rock concert that changed his world view and ended up facing a recall election as student body president because he refused to back down from his pro-life beliefs, and
- Rebekah, a young girl who was raped and courageously chose life for her son.
To speak with Kristan Hawkins, please contact Alexa Combs at acoombs@studentsforlife.org and to order a book, please go to www.courageousthebook.com.
Christian Newswire
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Photo of Baby Reaching Out From Womb During C-Section Goes Viral
A new photo of a baby reaching out of the womb and holding a doctor’s
finger during a Caesarian section delivery has gone viral and is being
passed around Facebook by tens of thousands of people.
A Phoenix-area couple took the picture during the delivery of Nevaeh — Heaven spelled backward — and a local news report says even the physician and hospital nursing staff were surprised by what unfolded.
“It
was such an amazing photo. [Hospital staff] had possibly heard of it
happening but they had never seen a photo of it,” said Alicia Atkins,
Nevaeh’s mother.
READ MORE
A Phoenix-area couple took the picture during the delivery of Nevaeh — Heaven spelled backward — and a local news report says even the physician and hospital nursing staff were surprised by what unfolded.
“It
was such an amazing photo. [Hospital staff] had possibly heard of it
happening but they had never seen a photo of it,” said Alicia Atkins,
Nevaeh’s mother.READ MORE
Piper Denounces Prosperity Preachers, Playful Worship in Last Sermon
By Lillian Kwon , Christian Post Reporter
January 2, 2013|3:49 pm
In his last message as pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church, John Piper condemned prosperity preachers for enticing worshippers into a faith that's not real Christianity.
"If you entice people with wealth, ... ease, health, chipper, bouncy, light-hearted, playful, superficial banter in your worship service posing as joy in Christ, you will attract people, oh yeah, you can grow a huge church that way. But Christ will not be seen in his glory and the Christian life will not be seen as the calvary road that it is," said Piper on Sunday.After 32 years of preaching at Bethlehem in Minneapolis, Piper handed the baton to Jason Meyer, who will be installed on Jan. 20.
While Sunday's sermon was not likely Piper's final message, it was his last on an official level as pastor for Preaching and Vision. In his last official message, Piper wanted to convey to the congregation "what the world needs from the church."
What it needs, he preached, is "our indomitable, invincible joy in the midst of suffering and sorrow."
He wasn't speaking of a "chipper" or "bouncy" joy that he sees in many church services but true rejoicing in the face of suffering and sorrow.
Domino's Pizza Founder Gets Injunction Against HHS Mandate
By Michael Gryboski , Christian Post Reporter
January 2, 2013|5:12 pm
A district court judge gave the founder of Domino's Pizza a last minute injunction from having to provide the abortion pill in accordance with the controversial preventive services mandate.
Thomas Monaghan, who presently oversees the Domino's Farms Corporation of Michigan, was granted an injunction on Sunday by Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff of the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division."The harm of delaying the implementation of a statute that may later be deemed constitutional is outweighed by the risk of substantially burdening the free exercise of religion," wrote Zatkoff.
"Moreover, the harm of carving out, at least temporarily, an additional exemption for an organization with less than 100 employees can hardly be considered a significant or 'irreparable' harm to the Government."
Monaghan filed suit against the government over the HHS mandate in December. Monaghan and Domino's Farms are represented by the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC).
Erin Mersino, attorney for TMLC, told The Christian Post that her organization was "very pleased" with the injunction decision.
Firefighter discovers faith from ashes, now shares faith in Asia
CENTRAL ASIA (BP) -- His world was going up in flames -- literally.
Firefighter Christopher Ryan* was engulfed by pitch-black smoke and
scorching heat amid an intense blaze on the second floor of a townhome
when he and his partner, a veteran firefighter, realized they couldn't
find the way out.
"I heard my partner screaming ... [telling] us to get out as fast as we could," Ryan remembers.
But he couldn't see a thing. Worse, his fire hose was stuck somewhere in the building and couldn't be freed. Still green from firefighters' school, his instructors' words echoed in Ryan's mind: "Never leave the hose. It's your lifeline."
And in that moment, Ryan says, time stood still.
"I had [what seemed] like an hour-long conversation right there with God," he says. "He pretty much affirmed that I wasn't saved and that if He were to allow me to die right then in that fire, I would be burning in hell that instant."
READ MORE
"I heard my partner screaming ... [telling] us to get out as fast as we could," Ryan remembers.
But he couldn't see a thing. Worse, his fire hose was stuck somewhere in the building and couldn't be freed. Still green from firefighters' school, his instructors' words echoed in Ryan's mind: "Never leave the hose. It's your lifeline."
And in that moment, Ryan says, time stood still.
"I had [what seemed] like an hour-long conversation right there with God," he says. "He pretty much affirmed that I wasn't saved and that if He were to allow me to die right then in that fire, I would be burning in hell that instant."
READ MORE
Passion 2013 Tells 60,000 Students: You Don't Need an Event, You Need Jesus
TLANTA – A strong sense of anticipation, energy and purpose was evident all over downtown Atlanta Tuesday as over 60,000 students and ministry leaders from across the country and around the world descended on the Georgia Dome and Georgia World Congress Center for the Passion 2013 conference.
"Is this not incredible?" Passion founder and visionary architect Louie Giglio said as he surveyed the energized crowd. "It's no longer a dream, but reality. And I can tell you that you are much louder tonight than the crowd watching football here last night!"Passion staff and volunteer teams had worked tirelessly to set up the Georgia Dome in a matter of hours following the Chick-fil-A Bowl football game which ended late Monday night.
‘Jesus Generation’: See Why 60,000+ Students & Pastors Are Gathering in Atlanta This Week
For all the talk surrounding the alleged death of religion, one would
assume that interest in spiritual themes is anemic at best. However,
this isn’t necessarily the case. While the proportion of Americans who
count themselves as religiously-unaffiliated is on the rise, there’s still a great deal of interest in exploring faith and religion.
Consider the annual “Passion” conference, which is set to break its own attendance record this year. With 60,000 students and preachers slated to head to Atlanta to take part in the four-day Christian-themed event, it’s impossible to dismiss the ever-intense devotion that many still have to faith and religious structures.
As The Christian Post notes, the event’s purpose is focused around “making Jesus famous and fighting modern-day slavery.” Some of the biggest and most popular orators and faith-based musicians will address and perform for the massive audience at the Georgia Dome, as the collective group invokes faith to contend with complex, modern-day issues. The Post has more about the festivities, which began on Tuesday night and will extend through Friday:
In what will be the largest single Passion gathering in North America since the Passion movement began in 1995, attendees will hear from dynamic Christian speakers including Louie Giglio, John Piper, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, Judah Smith, and Gary Haugen. Worship through music will also be an integral component of the conference, and lead musicians include Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, Charlie Hall, David Crowder, Lecrae, and Jesus Culture
READ MORE .
Consider the annual “Passion” conference, which is set to break its own attendance record this year. With 60,000 students and preachers slated to head to Atlanta to take part in the four-day Christian-themed event, it’s impossible to dismiss the ever-intense devotion that many still have to faith and religious structures.
As The Christian Post notes, the event’s purpose is focused around “making Jesus famous and fighting modern-day slavery.” Some of the biggest and most popular orators and faith-based musicians will address and perform for the massive audience at the Georgia Dome, as the collective group invokes faith to contend with complex, modern-day issues. The Post has more about the festivities, which began on Tuesday night and will extend through Friday:
In what will be the largest single Passion gathering in North America since the Passion movement began in 1995, attendees will hear from dynamic Christian speakers including Louie Giglio, John Piper, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, Judah Smith, and Gary Haugen. Worship through music will also be an integral component of the conference, and lead musicians include Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, Charlie Hall, David Crowder, Lecrae, and Jesus Culture
READ MORE .
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